Tamilian heart travels 350 kms to Chennai, gives new life to 33-year-old Kashmiri woman

A heart from an 18-year-old brain dead donor was transported over 350 kilometres to Chennai and gave new life to a 33-year-old Kashmiri woman suffering from terminal heart failure who had travelled 3000 kilometres for treatment. As per media reports, Shahzadi Fathima of Srinagar was experiencing worsening heart failure symptoms due to Restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM), a condition in which the heart's chambers stiffen over time. She became terminally ill, and her only chance of survival was a life-saving heart transplant as soon as possible. 

As her condition deteriorated, she was admitted on December 31, 2021, with signs of severe heart failure. MGM Healthcare doctors quickly began treating her with isotopes and other medications.

Meanwhile, a suitable brain-dead donor was found on January 26, 2022, in a private hospital in Trichy. The heart was quickly rushed to Chennai via a green corridor, and Shahzadi underwent a high-risk heart transplant. 

She recovered quickly from the procedure and is now ready to start a new life in Kashmir. Fathima, an unmarried woman from Kashmir, lives with her brother, a daily wage earner who was unable to cover her medical expenses and the transplant cost. 

Dr. K R Balakrishnan, Director of Institute of Heart and Lung Transplant & Mechanical Circulatory Support of MGM Healthcare, who led the surgery, praised the victim's family for agreeing to organ donation in the face of great personal tragedy, as well as Transtan, which oversees the state's organ donation activity. Aishwarya Trust, a non-profit organisation, was formed in response to this woman's plight. Additionally, HEALTHCARE organisation that helps deserving patients with medical expenses decided to cover the entire cost of the transplant at MGM Healthcare.

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